The ex-MotoGP rider’s four-year ban for doping will expire at the end of this year, and he will retur📖n in🔯 WorldSBK in 2024 representing GoEleven Ducati.

Despite his lengthy absence, the Italian impressed by going fifth-fa꧙stest and clocking 1’39.335s.

Team manager Denis Sacchetti reacted: “We are really happy ꧙with Andrea, with the test, with the team, everything.

“The result is completely unexpected. Rꩲeally fast…

“It is fantastic to see him with a smile after many years wཧithout riding a race bike.

“To be so fast, so determined…

“He has sent a really strong message to his opponents, t𓄧o the whole motorsport world.

“He was really, really fast. The riders here are from a race wee🅰kend, they finished the championship.

“He’s at the top of his performance. For the first time in four year💎s at this track… in🌳credible.

“The lap time is incredib🎶le. 🌜Soft tyres, even with hard tyres…

“What i꧂s important is the feeling with the bike. He was happy with the bike. It was easy.

“It w✱as a good feeling, and a good ﷺemotion for everyone in the whole team.”

Sacchetti was questioned on how far Iannone can realistically🎉 go next season𝓀.

“It’s diff💞icult to 🃏say now because it is early to say something,” he said with a knowing smile.

“I think today we can say ‘he is there’.

“He can be really competitive from the beginning.

“One lap is different to 20 laps conse💦cutively. Today he was tired after 70 laps.

“We are positive for the season, really pos✃itive. We will enjoy this moment.”

Iannone’s long absence from competitive racing means he lacks recent experience in the box, a possible chaꦓllenge for the team around him.

“It was difficult in the beginnin꧙g to have a programme of what to do,” Sacch💜etti said.

“Neওver in history has a rider, after four years out…

“So it was difficult to have a programme or to know what🔯 to do.

“He knows well, what he needs, what he has to do, what hꦰe wants.

“Andrea has helped the team to understand the wa𒅌y to work with him.

“The 🤪support from Ducati is pretty good. We thank everyone.”

Iannone, in his first-two days wearing GoEleven leat𒀰hers, shocked everybody inside his garage and around the paddock with his speed.

“We started this morning just ro ride, to understand the economy of the bike, t𒅌hen step-by-step to improve his feeling,” Sacchetti said.

“We didn’t touch the bike. The work was just from him, to understand the bike an✃d the tyres.”